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A church minister and his business partner have each been jailed for 3 1/2 years after admitting defrauding three Auckland churches of more than $500,000.
The pair persuaded the churches to invest their money through their finance business, promising strong returns from high interest rates.
According to the Serious Fraud Office, Pastor Tafua Joel Lefaoseu and female friend Ema Serina Fuatavai instead spent most of the money on themselves - including international travel and propping up their business.
Lefaoseu, 55, and Fuatavai, 47, set up TJ Finance and Marketing Solutions in South Auckland in 2000. At the time, Lefaoseu was a pastor in the Rotorua Samoan Tokelauan Assemblies of God Church. He and Fuatavai were well-known and respected in the wider church community.
Although Lefaoseu was declared bankrupt in 2002 and banned from running a business, he and Fuatavai approached churches, meeting pastors and congregations offering to invest their money. They received $775,000 from three churches but only one investment of $200,000 was ever made. It failed and the rest of the money was not invested, even though investment certificates were issued to the churches stating the amounts and interest rates earned.
The Tongan Assemblies of God Church was the biggest loser - investing $530,000 for a new Tongan centre. There were no written agreements and the church got no money back.
Samson Lenati was senior minister when Lefaoseu approached him with his investment scheme. Lenati had known Lefaoseu for 20 years. "I trusted him. I was really shocked. He was really a good guy before."
The Samoan Church of God in Manurewa handed over $195,000 and the Epsom Samoan Assembly of God Church $50,000. None was returned.
